FUN FACT.
A duel takes approx. half an hour up to one hour. I know this because I dueled a friend before. We all know that the reasons the duels take EIGHT FRIGGING YEARS in the anime is because of money even though we all know the manga didn't focus on the stupid card game but the characters. You know, like MOST NORMAL THINGS.
In this duel I feel it takes roughly forty-five minutes for the whole thing to pan out. I mean the full duel is FIVE FUCKING EPISODES. That's two and a half hours. We all know pro(?) duels wouldn't last that long because they are too good for each other.
Anyway, enough ranting. I do hope you read my author's notes because there is important info in them.
There is a poll going on in my profile if people would be interested if I wrote some one-shots about Malik and Ryou in the Shadow Realm during TAC. Please go vote!
One more chapter~
Disclaimer: I don't own YGO.
Chapter 14
Duels
It was like he was living in a dream.
Where was he? Last thing he remembered… Wait… What was the last thing that happened? Everything was foggy. But there was a face? Yes, a face in the distance. …Ryou Bakura? What did Ryou have to do with anything?
And like a strike of lightening, all of Malik's memories flooded back.
The duel. He a lost soul in the Shadow Realm. Shadow Breathers. Duel Spirits. Ryou, his constant companion who stuck with him through it all. His best friend. There was also Bakura who was helpful and hurtful. And Azazel, that shadow demon claiming to be the creator of the Shadow Realm. That trick to get them into the "real" world and getting out.
…Where was he now?
Voices floated in and out, echoing around him, whispering in his ear. There were shouts of protest and maniacal, chilling laughs. Everything was black. And Malik had never felt weaker in his life. He was barley conscious of his body… Where were his hands, feet, and legs? He tried moving his appendages but came up empty. Another disembodied laugh floated around… where was he?
Something tight and misty tightened around his wrists and ankles. Ah, so there was his body… but why did it feel so… light? Wait… where did his wrists go? And ankles? He tried to move again but found his body missing. Was he just a consciousness now? Everything was black too… what…?
"It's nice to see he's getting repaid by his exalted king!"
Malik felt a chill as everything dropped ten degrees cooler by the voice of his darker half. What was he doing here? And where was "here"?
"There's got to be a way to save Malik!"
Yugi's hopeful voice suddenly interrupted the laughter. He was missing bits and pieces of the full conversation…
"Your move, pharaoh."
…A duel? Malik was in a duel? A duel against… Yugi and Marik? No, that can't be right. The pharaoh would've taken over for him… Malik tried to open his eyes, but couldn't locate them. What was happening?
Soon the shadows will consume him, a thought that was not his own voiced, and I will be king.
Like another bolt of lightening, Malik suddenly became aware of his body… or lack there of. He felt his wrists and ankles… and half his face… and part of his torso… He groaned softly and lazily lifted open his eyelid. His dark was below him, laughing away and internally monologuing. The pharaoh was across the duel arena, sweating and a fierce determination on his face. Yugi… hung by shadows above him… but he was missing some of his arms and legs.
Ahhh, Malik thought, realization and reason finally kicking in, I am part of a duel. I am a bargaining chip in a duel. He sluggishly looked back down at his darker half. You fucking bastard. He thought viciously.
And then a thought, slow and sure, crossed his mind.
His beloved brother sacrificed everything for him. Maybe…
With sheer willpower Malik astral projected himself next to Odion's bed. He was unconscious, but his strong face was peaceful. Malik sighed and sat on a stool next to the bed.
"Hey Odion," he said lamely.
His brother breathed evenly but obviously said nothing.
Malik's voice was quiet. "I tried finding a way out of the Shadow Realm. I did it for you, Ishizu… for Dad." He swallowed thickly. "But I feel… I'm not going to win this. I'm just a puppet now. None of us expected this to happen but," a chuckle, "none of us can predict my dark side. Not even me.
"I just wanted to say… I'm sorry. You did nothing but protect me. You were the reason why my dark side stayed dormant for all those years. And I repaid you with disrespect… anger… hatred at times. I… I wish I could take it all back. I wish that my darker half didn't exist and you, Ishizu, and me lived on the surface, happy and free. I wish I didn't resent the pharaoh. I wish that everything was normal again." Malik squeezed his eye shut and exhaled. "It was never normal to start with though. Besides… it's too late. That being I created, who once I even viewed as a friend, now threatens to destroy me. That evil that I created out of resentment and anger…" Malik trailed off. "I feel I will never leave the Shadow Realm. M…" he hesitated, "…Marik… will kill Yugi once the duel is done. He'll send the pharaoh in the Shadow Realm and take the Millennium Puzzle for himself. And after that…" Malik shuttered. "I know what he wants to do, but I refuse to repeat it."
He paused and looked out the window up the duel tower. A dark haze, intimidating and daunting, loomed around the top: a Shadow Realm entrance. Malik spoke, but didn't quite yet turn. "You've been there my entire life. When I received the Tomb Keepers Initiation… when I killed Father… when my darker half was born… You have been loyal to me, to everyone. Even to Father when he didn't accept you. Even when I ran away, you accompanied me and helped me with my dark purposes without hesitating." He turned back to his brother, a tear caught in his eye. "Only now do I understand." Malik felt the shadows started to pull him back. He blinked and the tear released, sliding down his cheek. "I will never be able to repay you…" his voice caught and another tear fell from his eye. "I'm sorry."
Shadows whirled around him and his brother vanished from sight.
:::^:::
In the silence after Malik disappeared, Ryou watched his dark with nervous anticipation. Though Bakura said he wanted to ask Ryou some questions, he hadn't yet and was pacing around slowly, looking at shadows and avoiding his light. He thought hard about it, but Ryou had no idea what his dark wanted to talk about. He wasn't too keen on talking with him anyway. A sudden light dawned on him; he was alone with his darker half. Bakura could do virtually anything to Ryou and no one could stop him…
No, stay positive, Ryou thought, He won't touch you. He never has before…
Of course, Bakura was never a physical being before either.
Ryou tried to busy himself, shuffling through his deck to keep his mind off things.
"Yadonashi."
Ryou froze, his hands tightly gripping his deck. He didn't look up. He heard Bakura's footsteps stop in front of him. Slowly, Ryou pocketed the cards and looked up. Bakura's face was unreadable, but his Shadow Aura pulsed around him in threatening waves.
"You know the Shadow Realm is a very dangerous place," he started. "Those who aren't accustomed to Shadow Magic become slaves."
The Brit remained silent, but watched the Spirit.
"There are those," he narrowed his eyes, "who are born with the skills of the shadows. Others can learn through time." He took at few steps forward, closing in the little bit of space between them. "How is it that you are able to control the shadows?"
Ryou swallowed his fear and dared to say, "I don't know. But you are the one who chose me, aren't you? You wouldn't have stuck with someone this long unless they had some sort of connection to the Shadow Realm."
Bakura inhaled sharply, like what Ryou said struck a chord. He stepped back, and glared at his host. "You are the perceptive one, aren't you?"
"I've never not been."
A bark of laughter escaped Bakura's lips, a sound cold and demeaning. He deliberately circled Ryou with slow concentration. "Look at you. All poised and assertive. All grown up. Where did this confidence come from?" He laughed again. "Don't tell me that Tomb Keeper had anything to do with it."
The tight hand of fear gripped at Ryou and he stayed silent.
"Oh, he did, didn't he?" Bakura's voice was mocking now. "I'll have to do something about that."
"How?" Ryou asked suddenly. "When? Malik's gone. We're stranded now. Do what you want, I don't care. Any plans you had have been foiled."
"That's where you are wrong, yadonashi," the Spirit said deadly calm. "The pharaoh would never allow for his friends to be banished to the Shadow Realm. Think of all those lovely people he's trying to save. Mai… Odion… Malik… You. We're a package deal. We'll get out."
Ryou crossed his arms and bit the inside of his cheek.
"You said that you strengthened your Shadow Magic," the dark started.
Those words chilled Ryou to the bone. He knew what was coming. He dreaded this from the moment he reunited with them. He knew the Spirit. He knew what he wanted before the words formed on his lips.
"Show me."
Ryou looked at him dead in the eye. "No."
"What did you say?"
His confidence grew a little bit. "No."
Bakura frowned hard, a dark glint in his red eyes. "Why not?"
And so Ryou said something he wanted to say for years. "Because I don't want to."
The Spirit licked his lips and smiled a meaningless grin. "Defiance. He taught you defiance. That Tomb Keeper will pay. However," and Bakura's Shadow Aura erupted, shadows slithering around him, "I'll make you show me." He flung a shadow in Ryou's direction.
Ryou dodged, trying to keep his own Shadow Aura in check. Since he'd been strengthening his magic, it had grown in size and darkened quite astonishingly. But he didn't want the Spirit to know how much his Shadow Magic had grown; he didn't know how long he's be able to use the shadows and maybe if he strengthened it enough he'd be able to overpower Bakura and lock him in his soul room…
But he had a feeling the Spirit knew exactly that. So he changed his mind about hiding and let his shadows go, his Shadow Aura tripling in size and darkening, shadows menacingly hovering around him. He breathed and stood strong, facing his dark.
Bakura smiled menacingly. "Look at that. Yadonashi finally grew a pair of balls."
Ryou returned his comment with a whiplash of shadows. Bakura easily deflected them.
"You have to try harder than that," his dark was smiling his token smirk. "Especially if you want to overpower me."
So he did know. Ryou narrowed his eyes. "Fine." He whipped out his deck and summoned Dark Necrofear. She turned and gave him an are-you-really-having-me-fight-him-you-know-I-am-h is-favorite-card-you-idiot look. Ryou gave her an I-know-but-you-were-my-card-first-can-you-please-d o-this-for-me look and she sighed but zipped forward.
"Dark Necrofear, I'm mildly offended. I swear you liked me better," Bakura mocked offense, but flipped a card out his back pocket. "Two can play at this game." In a burst of shadows Diabound was on the defense. He easily knocked aside Dark Necrofear and she disappeared into the mist.
Ryou grabbed another card, but a shadow slinked around his deck and swept it away. He looked over at his dark. Bakura licked a finger and flipped through the deck, taking his time to choose his card carefully.
"That," Ryou's Shadow Aura pulsed angrily, "is my deck!" He flipped a shadow toward the cards but Bakura flicked it away lazily.
"Even with all that practice," Bakura lashed a group of shadows toward his host. They wrapped themselves around him and lifted him into the air, bringing him toward Bakura. "It was relentless. I guess you aren't as strong as I thought you were." He leisurely walked up and got in his host's face. "Don't you dare try to pull that again."
Ryou's anger and hatred were swiftly replaced with fear and regret. What had he done? Now the Spirit was going to punish him severely…
No, a voice in the back of Ryou's head whispered. He has done enough. This is your turn to give him a taste of his own medicine.
An uncontrollable force took control of Ryou's body and he blacked out.
:::^:::
Malik was only able to catch snippets of the duel. He was so drained and weak… Projecting his spirit to his brother didn't help with that ordeal. He was starting to hear his dark's thoughts again and preferred it when he couldn't. Only a third of them were about the duel; rape, murder, blood, and other heinous crimes toward Yugi and his friends took up the rest of Marik's thoughts. Malik felt sick.
He didn't hear his dark speak, but Metal Reflect Slime appeared on the stadium and Malik racked his brain trying to remember if that card was in his original deck. Coming up empty, he concluded that his dark must have made a brand new deck… Partially to stray from Malik and partially to cause more pain in a duel. He tried to move his head, but that darkness from earlier overcame him and he slipped back into the dark, coma-like state, unaware of his surroundings and body. The voices of the pharaoh and his dark echoed in his ears. He tried to speak but no words came out. Malik felt helpless. Yes, he was going to stay trapped in the Shadow Realm forever…
"…Revival Jam…"
Oh, that card, Malik thought lazily. That one is in my original deck. Must be too good to get rid of. He smirked.
In his mind he saw through his dark's eyes for a moment as he placed Polymerization and the field and merged together Revival Jam and Metal Reflect Slime, making the Obelisk imposter impossible to destroy.
Damn, Malik admitted, that's good.
And he was back in the Shadow Duel again as his consciousness and soul flipped between the real world and Shadow Realm and… a limbo state. He felt useless and pathetic, hanging by tendrils of shadows. But by the looks of things, everything was going downhill for him.
"Even if you could attack me," Marik bragged, interrupting Malik's thoughts, "my lovely little light pays the price." His voice changed, a darker edge to it. "You see, I've wanted to rid of him for so very long. And now I can finally banish him and keep him banished to the shadows. So please, feel free to do that for me, pharaoh." He laughed cheerlessly. "As you can see, most of him has been consumed by the shadows. It won't be long until that leech of mine is finally all gone."
Wait a minute. Leech? Malik was a leech? If anything, Marik was the one who leeched off him! That bastard!
Please pharaoh, Malik prayed fervently and silently, defeat him at all costs.
:::^:::
Bakura hesitated when he saw his light's eyes roll to the back of his head, his body relaxing and growing limp. Without warning, shadows exploded from Ryou, wrapped themselves around Bakura and Diabound, and lifted them into the air much like when Ryou's Shadow Magic was first released.
Ryou's eyes snapped open and his irises were once again as black as the shadows twisting their way around his body.
"Oh," Bakura said in a unruffled tone, "you again."
"You do not understand this boy's power," Ryou's voice spoke; it tripled with deep and high-pitched tones. "He could tear this realm apart if he so wished."
"That's likely," the Spirit responded. His eyes flickered to Diabound. His Ka was immobile with a fear he had never seen in anyone's eyes before, whether it be one of his victims or an opponent in Duel Monsters. This horror was deep-rooted, like facing a greatest fear ten times over. An icy cold chill ran down Bakura's spine. He glanced back at his host. Ryou's face was hooded and unreadable, but his Shadow Aura was dark, thick, and black; it dripped globs of dark shadows. The shadows wrapped around Bakura tightened and he struggled for air.
"It you think that this boy is weak," Ryou's head snapped up and his face was skewed in a horrifying look of anger, determination, and mad passion. "Then you are misguided." A large pulse of shadow ripped from Ryou, the Shadow Realm shuttering as a whole and even ripping, and streams of light from the real world leaking in before the shadows closed again.
"Is he aware of his power?" Bakura asked as he gasped for air and tried to burrow any fear that threatened to show from the immense power his light revealed.
"No," the Brit's voice intoned, motioning the shadow holding Bakura to come forward so they could speak face to face. "He never will. It would take years for this boy to unlock his true potential. Only we, the shadows, are aware of his power. No human with this great amount would be able to control it. Not the pharaoh, not the Egyptian boy, not you."
Bakura bit his retort, but asked, "How are you released? Are you different than his Shadow Magic?"
"In a way," Ryou's voice droned vaguely. "This boy has the unique ability to not only conjure Shadow Magic, but physical shadows as well."
"Like Azazel?"
"Not as powerful as he, but yes."
"He is not aware of this?"
"No, and he never will be."
"Why are you telling me?"
"What will you do with this information?" Ryou's voice changed to a mocking tone, "It does not benefit you. How will knowing this information about this boy help you in your ploy? We know you will seal up his magic again once you reenter the physical world."
"Why are you telling me?" Bakura repeated.
Ryou smiled a terrible and evil grin that looked almost wrong on his face. "Because shadows have a sense of humor." He released Bakura and he dropped to the ground, sucking in air hard as he tried to regain his breath.
"Now," Ryou's voice said, the horrible smile still on his face. A shadow slithered out of his hand and slipped into Bakura's back pocket, obtaining the stolen deck and returning it to it's original owner. "You said you wanted to see his strengthened Shadow Magic." The smile widened. "Let us test your strength as well."
:::^:::
Time moved in slow motion. His dark laughed at almost every move, a little too giddy about his game of despair. He heard Yugi's cries when he lost life points and swore almost every curse he could think of. Yet he couldn't do anything but hang uselessly.
Ishizu would be disappointed in me if she could read my thoughts, he thought and lethargically lifted his eye to glance at his sister. She was horror struck at the duel and he cast his gaze down, not before noticing Anzu out of the corner of his eye.
There was another idea.
With the very last of his strength, Malik once more took control of her body. However once he gained control he hissed out in pain, the Shadow Magic used to take over her mind wearing him thinner. Jou, Duke, and Honda turned to look at him.
"You okay, Anzu?" Jou asked.
"Please," Malik begged, holding his hand up to the others and turning to the pharaoh. "Pharaoh," he cried. "You must defeat him. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay. You have to conquer my dark side at all costs, even if it costs me my life."
Jou staggered over and shook Malik-Anzu by the shoulders. "Anz, you're talking nonsense. What the hell do you mean?"
"Jou, there's no time," Malik brushed him off. "I'm Malik. I briefly took control of Anzu's body. I can't explain further because I have so little time." He turned back to the pharaoh. "Destroy him. Rid that disease of this earth. Please, pharaoh, I'm begging you." He took a gasp of breath as he felt the shadows pulling him back, but he held on.
"'Disease?'" Marik faked a hurt expression. "Do you really view me as such? That hurts my feelings."
Malik ignored him and continued addressing the pharaoh. "I am so sorry. My family was tasked with protecting your tomb until you returned. But I resented this great honor and in the end started hating you." He lifted a finger and pointed at his darker half, scowling at Marik. "In my hatred I created him. My pharaoh you must be rid of him. My punishment is for me to die as well."
A burst of laughed caused all heads to turn to Marik. "Oh, aren't you just a ray of sunshine," he cackled. "You resented the pharaoh your whole life and now suddenly he's your high exalted king? My, my hikari you defiantly have your priorities straight." He stopped laughing, but his insane smile stayed plastered across his lips. "You beg for forgiveness at this point? It's a little late for that, little light."
Malik's sight flickered from Anzu back to hanging above his dark as a flash of rage blinded his control.
"I'm already here," Marik bowed derisively. "And now this body is mine. You hardly even exist. Just look," he gestured to the hanging bits of Malik above his head. "I don't plan on leaving." He added, a dark shadow crossing over his face, his leer widening ever the slightest. "And I plan on finishing what we started."
Malik glared at his dark as Jou, Duke, and Honda fussed over him, trying to figure out a way to get Anzu back. He opened his mouth to speak but his sister interposed.
"Malik," she cried and rushed over. "What happened to our talk? I thought you were going to fight!"
"It's been a hell of a fight," Malik said tiredly. "See." He pointed to his fading body. "We tried finding a way out, Sis. Honestly. I don't think any of us expected this to happen."
"No," she admitted. "But you don't have to sacrifice yourself! Please, don't do this. Keep fighting."
"I'm sorry, Ishizu," Malik's voice sounded defeated and he let his head drop. "But there isn't another way. I don't see any other way out of this."
Ishizu's eyes swarmed with tears and she turned away.
Malik looked back at the pharaoh. "Destroy him. You must rid of this evil! If that means abolishing me, so be it."
"Isn't that poetic," Marik drawled, picking at his ear with indifference. "Malik-dear would rather die than see the victory he longed for so very long ago. However, his efforts are just a waste of time." He turned to Malik. "You shouldn't have tried. You wasted Shadow Magic and just made yourself weaker. You're pathetic."
It took some effort, but Malik resisted flipping off his darker half.
The three boys were making observations about the duel when Jou suddenly rounded Malik. "Do you even have a good side?"
Malik blinked at him. "Technically everyone has both good and bad sides—"
Ishizu hit his shoulder and he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, couldn't resist."
"Malik, this is a serious situation!" she chastised.
"I know, I know," he waved at her and turned back to the blond. "Yes. I am the good side."
Jou narrowed his eyes. "I have a hard time believing that. After all this is all your fault!"
"Jou!" Ishizu cried. "Stop it."
"No," Malik interrupted. "He's right and you know it. He has a right to be angry with me. All I've done is cause them grief, and that was before my dark was released."
"You got that right," Jou said hostility. "You'd be nuts to think we'd trust you. We know your so-called 'dark half' is just after the Millennium Items."
"Wait, you think he just wants them?" Malik gasped, stunned. "He's out for blood. The Millennium Items are just spoils of war. If you believe that fight was over the seven Items, you are mistaken. I left the life of a Tomb Keeper because of my hatred of the pharaoh, not because I coveted the Millennium Items. I wanted to kill him. I no longer wish this, but my dark is hell bent on doing so. He'd banish Yugi to the Shadow Realm and kill the pharaoh. That's the root of his creation. And once that goal is achieved…" he trailed off.
The group looked aghast at his statement. Marik stopped paying attention since Malik was just giving out information he already knew. Jou balled up his fist.
"Get out of my friend you asshole."
Malik dropped his gaze. "Fine. I thought I'd tell the pharaoh to defeat my dark half at all costs through Anzu since I am not able to."
"Haven't you done enough?" Jou protested. "Leave the rest of us out of this. We have a hard time dealing with two Yugis and two Ryous, we don't need any more doubles. And trying to figure out what the hell 'Shadow Magic' is…" he trailed off and frowned at Malik. "If it wasn't for you we wouldn't be in this mess."
"I know," Malik agreed sadly, "and for that I am truly sorry. But there has to be a way to defeat my dark. I just hope he finds it." With that, he relinquished Anzu from his control.
:::^:::
This fight with Ryou was much different than the one from earlier. For one, Bakura was having his ass handed to him. Second, Ryou didn't even need to be physically holding his cards to summon a monster. Third, these shadows Ryou was using were far different from anything Bakura's ever seen in his five thousand years.
A small portion of Bakura liked this idea of being beaten by his host, even though Ryou was unaware that he was doing so. It gave him a feel of what he put Ryou through… and the Spirit was the slightest bit masochistic. It wasn't that he physically hurt Ryou—one wouldn't intentionally ruin their home, would they—but more emotionally, mentally, and psychologically scarred him.
Shadows swarmed Bakura, breaking his train of thought, and he thrust his hand outward, a stream of shadows bursting from his palm and colliding with the oncoming mass. However, Ryou sent a second rally unbeknownst to Bakura and he was sent flying backwards.
"Do you understand now," Ryou's voice asked, tilting his head as he sent spider-like shadows to wrap up Bakura in a web, "this boy's power? He could bend the Shadow Realm to his will, make Duel Spirits bow, and vanquish Shadow Breathers like that," he snapped.
Bakura grinned his trademark smirk, smoothly hiding his ire. "Are we finished here? I wanted to ask my host questions, not a bunch of shadows possessing his body."
"Said the pot to the kettle," Ryou's voice giggled. "Alas, we can not be here much longer. If we remain too long, we will tear this poor human boy apart. And we know that the parasite who resides in him can not have that."
Bakura said nothing, but glowered at him.
"Bakura," Ryou's voice said. "You must not tell him of this encounter or of our existence in his soul room."
"Why is that?" he crooned. "Why should I listen to you?"
"This boy is delicate," the Brit's voice continued, "and his knowledge of his power would shatter him. He is a curious boy. He would try to experiment and the results would be catastrophic. The reason you should listen to us," his voice took a turn to the dark, "is because we will rip you apart otherwise."
"Threatening me then," Bakura drawled. "And what if I don't care?"
"You are in no place to make retorts."
"Fair." Bakura shrugged, or attempted to with the shadow restraints. "Deal."
Ryou snapped, Bakura dropped, and for the second time that day Ryou fainted.
:::^:::
Painful memories flashed across Malik's mind. He knew the pharaoh would be hesitant to attack his darker half because in turn it would hurt him, but that was the only way to defeat him. He sent his Rare Hunters after him, kidnapped his friends and even threatened their lives, but the pharaoh was still worried about saving Malik.
He had a very just and forgiving king.
Malik was unworthy.
The duel proceeded and Malik lost interest. No need to pay attention when he was just going back to the Shadow Realm…
And then Ra was summoned to the field and Marik was transferring his life points—And merging his body, thought Malik, that's fucking creepy.—with the god, leaving only one life point left. He then transferred the other monsters points to Ra, giving the god almost seven thousand attack points.
I'm done for, Malik thought hopelessly.
"I activate Soul Taker!"
Malik's eye widened. What?
"I choose to sacrifice your god Slime!"
Malik would've smiled if he had a mouth still. Smart move, pharaoh. I see your game.
Marik was lost. "Why did you choose him? That won't save you!"
"Two monsters," the pharaoh explained. "Two sacrifices are all it takes to activate Obelisk's hidden power, making his attack points infinite."
"Y-you can't do that!" Malik spluttered.
"I'm afraid I just did."
Malik could hardly see, but he felt the power of Obelisk as he aimed his attack. This was it. He was going to be free once—
Hideous laughter interrupted his thoughts as the smoke cleared.
"I activated Class System to protect me." He cackled. "Unfortunately, Obelisk has less stars than Ra, so your attack failed."
And Malik flipped into a state of limbo again, drowning in self-pity and loathing.
Okay, not a very nice place to end it, but this chapter was getting lengthy and I still need content for the next AND FINAL chapter, which hopefully won't be dreadfully long.
Review?
Over and out,
Mahersal